Vulnerable Youth Learn to Transform their World
Fourteen-year-old Sanubar was sent away once her family could no longer manage her epileptic seizures. An increasing amount of children in Azerbaijan, like Sanubar, are placed in institutions because their families are unable to cope with their children’s special needs.
After Sanubar’s mother died, her father remarried and, in addition to Sanubar and her sister, had a baby son. The entire family lived together in one small room that caused continual conflicts, exacerbated by the challenges of caring for two daughters with disabilities. Without support from the government or relatives, the family turned to what they believed was their only solution for Sanubar’s care—an institution.
At the institution, where she suffered abuse and poor schooling, Sanubar’s situation grew worse. Feeling trapped, Sanubar felt that she could not influence the choices made for her. She lacked self-confidence and decision-making skills.
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Participating in the elections, Sanubar votes for members of her local child advocacy group
Photo Credit: Save the Children |
Realizing these challenges, the USAID-funded Children and Family Support Centers established child-organized advocacy groups in three areas in Azerbaijan to assist young people in becoming empowered members of society. Towards achieving this goal, center staff invited vulnerable children, including Sanubar, to participate in training courses as groundwork for organizing self-advocacy groups. Through trainings, center staff encouraged the children to understand their own rights and taught an array of leadership and self-advocacy skills through which empowerment can become a reality.
With the support of center staff, children learned to speak up for themselves when their rights are violated, to contribute ideas on decisions which affect them, and to organize themselves so that they may transform their world. Central to these efforts is a strong belief that showing children how to initiate change for themselves is the most effective way to achieve an actual difference in their lives.
After participating in a center training, Sanubar decided to take specific steps to promote her rights. Believing that she would have a better chance in the future if she were raised at home, Sanubar started to speak up and asserted her objections to staying at the institution. She directly expressed the disadvantages of remaining at the institution for both her health and her overall development to both the institution staff and her parents. Sanubar demanded that her best interests should be considered for all decisions concerning her care.
Thanks to her determination and the skills she learned through the Children and Family Support Center, Sanubar has returned home. Despite her health problems, she continues to blossom surrounded by her family and community.
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